Shinra Scribbles
by koyasufan
Summary: Series of short, very short in a few cases, scenes following Reno, Tseng, and Rufus from when they first meet to the immediate aftermath of Meteor. Shounen ai.
1. 15

_Insert standard disclaimers here. Not mine, never will be, etc., etc._

_Ah, let's see. These were written out of order--that's why the numbers of the parts are scrambled. I figured I'd be nice and put them in order when I uploaded them. I'd also like to note that I finished all of these long before Advent Children came out. There's a reason I'm saying that. You'll see in Scribble #4._

_Shounen-ai. Tseng/Reno, Reno/Rufus pairings. Except for the final three, these were random ficlets written as background information for another timeline/universe._

**#15**

"Get them out of here!"

Reno looked at Tseng over the blond head curled under his chin as they watched President Shinra order the two Turks that, until this point, served as his son's bodyguards escorted out. Tseng shrugged slightly at his younger teammate, then turned his attention back to the three men on the second floor of the office where the President's desk was.

"What's gonna happen to them?"

Reno looked down at the boy in his arms. "Don't know, kid. Don't know."

Rufus wrapped his arms tighter around Reno's neck with a sniffle. "Wasn't their fault. I wandered away from them. It was just for a minute."

"I know." Reno glanced over at Tseng again. This was an inexcusable failure. Losing track of the President's son was bad enough. Letting him get kidnapped and having the rookie team show you up by getting him back? Hell, where Tseng was from, that probably would have required you to kill yourself on the spot from embarrassment alone, never mind the loss of honor.

"Tseng! Reno!" Veld's voice called them from the top of the stairs, even though the man was barely visible from where they stood. Reno started for the stairs when a hand on his arm pulled him back.

"Rufus, I think it would be best if you let go of Reno now," Tseng murmured, a hand reaching to straighten a few stray hairs on both of their heads.

"I don't want to," was the only reply.

"Tseng, it's..."

Tseng cut his teammate off with a quick shake of the head. It wasn't okay. He probably didn't want to deprive the boy of the one security blanket that he had right now, but it wasn't okay. Reno understood that much. He would have stayed with the kid if he could have, though.

"Rufus, you know your father won't be happy to see you hugging Reno like that. It's time to let go."

Rufus lifted his head and stared at Tseng for a moment, then looked up at Reno. "I know, but..."

"Hey, we'll be right here, kid." Reno grinned before crouching down enough to let Rufus down to the floor.

"Always?"

Reno nodded slightly. "Always."

That seemed to placate Rufus, and he let go of Reno's neck and slid to his feet. He wasn't a small boy, by far, and Reno wasn't upset to lose the extra weight, but he couldn't help but want to draw the boy right back into the embrace when he watched him. Fortunately, Tseng tapped his shoulder lightly before he could think about doing so.

"They're waiting."

Reno nodded and pushed himself back to his feet. He looked at Rufus one last time before following Tseng up the stairs.

He hadn't been a Turk for more than six months by now, but he knew it was best to follow Tseng's lead when dealing with their commanders. There was something about him that indicated he was far more than he portrayed himself. And that he knew far more about high society than he liked to let on.

"I understand that you two are responsible for fixing the blunder of your teammates."

Reno watched Veld visibly wince at that comment from President Shinra as the two stopped in front of his desk.

"We rescued your son from the men who tried to kidnap him, if that's what you mean, sir."

Even Tseng's normally calm voice held a few shards of ice when he spoke. Turks were Turks, Reno learned quickly, and it didn't matter how much you hated a fellow Turk at the bar during your time off. When you were on the clock, you were a team. That loyalty extended straight up the chain of command to Veld, and Tseng was protecting both the reputations of the two men that just left _and_ his commander with his words.

"A rescue that wouldn't have been needed if those two had done their job properly."

The next speaker was the bear of a man standing opposite the desk from Veld. Heidegger, if Reno remembered correctly, commander of the entire Shinra military force, including the Turks.

A quick glance back to his side of the desk showed that Veld looked like he was ready to murder his commander. Considering the fact that the man was in charge of the Turks, and _that_, at least, wasn't a position that one waltzed into with no field experience, Reno had no doubt that Heidegger would be sleeping with his lights on for a few days, if he slept at all.

"A fact which doesn't matter now, as Rufus is safely home." Tseng spoke again, joining his commander in the 'Die now!' look directed at Heidegger.

"You're the rookie, aren't you, boy? What was your name again?"

And with those words from President Shinra, Heidegger, Tseng, and Veld were all staring at him.

"Reno, sir," Reno replied with a calm he didn't feel.

"Reno. You're from Sector Three, correct? Near where you found Rufus?"

"I was born in Sector Three, sir, yes" Reno shifted slightly as his partner and his commander watched him. Where was President Shinra going with that question?

"Ah, that explains how you knew the area so well, and why they thought to call you...?"

Reno tipped his head to the side curious where this conversation was headed. "Not really, since it was Tseng that got the call. I just happened to be out with him."

"I see. Still, quite convenient..."

That wasn't fair. President Shinra had to know enough about him to know that he was the one most likely to mouth off.

Reno's eyes narrowed. "Convenient, hell. What're you trying to infer by that?"

Tseng stepped towards him, hand reaching to rest on his arm, when Reno caught Veld shake his head out of the corner of his eye. Did he just read that right? Did Veld just signal Tseng _not_ to stop him?

"He's trying to infer that maybe there was some cooperation..." Heidegger started. He shrunk back behind the President's desk when Reno stepped towards him.

"Cooperation? Cooperation! I can't even get half those guys to trust me at their backs yet, and you think somehow I'm part of some conspiracy to kidnap the boss' kid? You have got to be the stupidest bas..."

Now Tseng grabbed his elbow, and Reno closed his mouth before he went to far.

"It wasn't any of their fault, father. I slipped away to watch some children playing." Reno looked over to see Rufus standing at the top of the staircase. "I didn't mean for anything to happen, it just looked like..."

"We'll talk about this later, Rufus."

"But they..."

"Later!"

"Yes, father."

If Tseng weren't still holding on to his arm, Reno would have likely run over there to hug the boy.


	2. 16

**#16**

"You should have let him finish, Tseng. I would have enjoyed seeing Heidegger's face at having some 'street-rat' calling him names like that."

Tseng laughed softly as he swiped his key card through the slot, then pressed the button for the floor of their offices. "And if I had, I would have spent the next week with Reno cleaning up the labs or something equally horrific."

Veld nodded. "I know." The older man looked over at where Reno was watching the city outside through the glass. "And I wouldn't do that to two of my best men."

Reno looked up quickly. "Sir..."

"I'll make sure the two that failed are fine, but Rufus is going to need new bodyguards no matter what I do. I want you two to be his primary ones. He seemed to like you enough when you brought him back. And considering Rufus, that's a bit of a miracle."

"You want us to babysit? I'm sorry, sir, but I didn't sign up for this to babysit some spoiled brat of a kid."

"Reno!"

Veld laughed, holding up a hand to tell Tseng that it was okay. "You'll get normal assignments as we need you, but I think you two would do best as his primary bodyguards. I'm serious when I say that it's very rare for Rufus to take to people enough to be clinging to them like he was to you, Reno. He might actually listen to you."

"You're giving a choice assignment to a rookie and his slightly-less-than-rookie mentor when there are teams that deserve it much more from their record with the Turks. Veld, why do I get the feeling you're not telling us something?"

Their commander looked over at Tseng. "We think the men who kidnapped Rufus are part of a group that the company has been getting threats from. Right now, making sure that Rufus is with men I trust is more important than giving the job to someone with the team longer."

Tseng nodded. "And what would make you trust an exile from Wutai and his devil of a partner?"

"Because if you two are traitors, I can't trust anyone."

Reno turned back to the view of the city. "You're trusting us on instinct?" Veld nodded. "Think you're crazy for that, but I guess I should be flattered that you'd trust me all things considered."

"You're insubordinate, brash, rude, obnoxious, and a dozen other adjectives that I wouldn't find very flattering if they were directed at me, but you're one of the most loyal men I've ever met." A hand reached over and lightly touched the shoulder that was bandaged under Reno's suit jacket. The shoulder where a bullet grazed the skin when he didn't get out of the way fast enough because he was too busy untying Rufus. "Besides, I know I can trust Tseng. I've known him for four years, and he's given me no reason to doubt him. If he trusts you enough to watch his back fresh out of training, so can I."


	3. 14

**#14**

"I didn't say you could smoke on my balcony."

Reno lowered the cigarette and the hand holding it to rest on the railing. "Because I didn't bother asking. Needed the nicotine, and I'm not about to leave you alone. Your father would have a fit."

The blond head belonging to the younger Shinra appeared in the corner of Reno's eye as the boy joined him at the railing. This was, probably, the closest he had gotten to the 'golden boy'--as several of the Turks 'affectionately' called him--in a long time. He wasn't exactly thrilled by that fact, either. Whatever attachment Veld had seen when the child and the Turk first met, it didn't seem to be there now. "And he'll have a fit when he finds out that you didn't listen to me. As I said, I didn't say that you could smoke on my balcony."

Reno raised his hand back to his lips. "Maybe you didn't hear me the first time. I didn't ask if I could." He drew in a long breath, holding it as he lowered the cigarette again and flicked the ashes down on the cliff below them. "You want something other than to bitch at me for smoking?"

Rufus turned a bit to look at him, and he could see the surprise in the boy's face. "I wanted to know why you were out here smoking when I hadn't given you permission!"

Reno grinned and inhaled one last time from the cigarette in his hand before stabbing it out on the concrete railing. "Because his majesty was busy harassing one of the maids for not having his favorite suit ready last night when he hadn't bothered to tell them that he wanted it," the red-head snapped back, turning partially to face the thirteen year old standing beside him.

He figured that he was going to regret his words when he saw the way Rufus' eyes narrowed at him. "Not that I need to justify myself to a street rat like _you_, but they knew which suit would have been most appropriate at last night's function. A fact which you would know if you had been allowed to attend it with Tseng. It was my father's decision, however, that you would have done nothing but..."

Rufus stopped in the midst of his tirade when Reno's hand grabbed his chin and tilted his head to the side. "Who hit you?"

The Shinra boy squirmed, trying to pull away from his bodyguard's touch. "No one. I tripped in the dark and hit something after I got back here last..."

"Look, you little brat, I know you don't think much of me, but I know the difference between a bruise from hitting a wall and an obvious _hand print_. Tseng'll have my skin if I let..."

This time Rufus succeeded in pulling away from Reno's grip. "Tseng won't question it," the boy growled as he stepped back. "He knows his place. Now leave me alone!"

Reno figured that it was to his credit that he did manage to bite back the comment on his tongue about the fact that Rufus was the one that interrupted his privacy, and a muttered "I'll be inside if you need me" was the only thing he said to acknowledge the order as he started to the open door back into what was Rufus' private section of the vacation home.

He turned briefly to look back at the boy now slouched against the railing when he thought he heard a sob. It wasn't possible, of course. Rufus Shinra didn't cry. Screamed at you for being incompetent when he didn't get his way, possibly, but he didn't cry...


	4. 13

**#13**

Rufus looked curiously at the cigarette left propped on a makeshift ashtray on the table in front of him. It was one of Reno's. He could recognize the scent of the smoke--a light scent that wasn't quite as bad as some of the smoke he'd smell at those parties of his father's.

Still, Reno never seemed to smoke inside; even when it was allowed to do so. It made him curious as to why. Tseng did on the rare occasion that he smoked his own cigarettes, which was never when he was around Reno.

A faint glow from the one end told him that the stick was still lit. Reno must not have stabbed it out completely when he left. He picked it up and held it between two fingers like he had seen Reno do so many times before.

What was it that those girls were always laughing about at the parties? When they'd offer him a bite of their treats, then giggle to themselves? Something about an indirect kiss?

He touched the cigarette to his lips, only to see a hand snatch it out of his from above. "Your father would kill me if he thought I let you do that."

Reno swept around him, a whirl of dark blue and red. Rufus bit down on his lower lip as he watched his bodyguard settle in the chair near the table, cigarette already between his lips. "Why?"

Reno looked up at the younger boy in front of him, startled to even get the question. "Because it'll kill you in the long run, brat. That and he thinks I'm a bad influence on you as it is," he replied as he reached over to flick the ashes on the tip into the tray.

Rufus opened his mouth to say something, then just nodded. Of course, Reno was right. His father did think the younger of his two bodyguards was a horrible influence on his son. He smoked, drank too much, had a smart mouth, swore too much. Whatever the reason for the moment, there was always something wrong with Reno. But he did his job with such efficiency that it was hard to not give him important assignments like baby-sitting the Shinra heir on a trip to the conquered Wutai.

The trip alone gave Rufus far more insight into his bodyguard's mind, though. Tseng had a mission to complete in Junon, so Reno was stuck as the only Turk on _this_ mission. He wasn't happy about not having Tseng around, Rufus could tell, but the trip was good for him.

There was something stare-worthy about looking out your window in the early hours of the morning to see one of the Turks' most dangerous men in the garden outside echoing a bird's whistles or trying to encourage some furry little creature that it was safe to take the treat from his hand. Not that it should have surprised Rufus. Reno was brash and insubordinate, but he wasn't cruel. Even when he killed, he did it quickly. Mercifully.

Still, Rufus hadn't ever pictured Reno to be quite that gentle. And that was what had led him to his train of thoughts when he picked up that cigarette. Was Reno that gentle with the people he cared about? Would his kisses be light like they were in the stories those girls read? Or would they be as rough and clumsy as those of the girl that so desperately wanted to show him how much she cared the month before?

Why he was concerned with how well his bodyguard kissed was something he didn't even want to figure out at the moment.

"Got something for you." Rufus started, then looked back up at Reno's face to see the small wrapped candy held in the hand opposite the cigarette. He reached a hand forward hesitantly; the move enough for Reno to pick up his unease.. "It's not poison, kid. It's the absolutely best flavor candy in the world. And it's the last one I've got right now."

Hard candy, by the looks of the wrapper, Rufus noted as he plucked it from the other's hand. He eyed it a moment, turning it over in his hand as he tried to make sense of the characters written on the outside. "What is it?"

Reno grinned playfully. "Just try it. I can guarantee it tastes better than this thing would." He held up the cigarette before placing it back between his lips.

Rufus stared at the candy a moment longer before unwrapping it and slipping the round piece into his mouth. He paused a moment with the taste of the flavor. Sweet, but not sugary sweet...

"What is it? I don't recognize the flavor."

Reno smiled. "Plum. I usually get the candies at a little shop near my place in Midgar, but apparently the fruit they're flavored like is native to this place. Consider yourself very privileged. I don't part with my candy easily."

He was serious, Rufus thought as he sucked on the candy. "So, what do you want?"

Reno shook his head. "Nothing. Just figured you could use something to make you smile since you've been grumpy this whole trip, even for you."

That wasn't right. People didn't do something for nothing, particularly something like giving up the last piece of their favorite candy. Particularly for someone they never seemed to care...

Reno stabbed out his cigarette and pushed himself to his feet. Rufus felt a hand on his hair as the Turk did so, then tilted his head back to look up the short gap between them.

"You sure you don't want me there at this dinner?"

The boy stared at his bodyguard a moment before he felt his cheeks start to color from the closeness. It shouldn't bother him, being close like this. Reno was always close to him when they were together outside. Something about it being better to deter would-be assassins before they got the idea than let them close enough to get caught. Maybe it was the air here. Or being able to pick up the faint trace of the soap Reno must have used that morning.

"I'll be fine. You deserve the night off for running around this place all day with me..."

"And your father's afraid I'll embarrass you." Reno grinned before pulling his hand away and stepping off the low porch. "I'll behave. Call me if you need anything."


	5. 10

**#10**

"...and you let it happen?"

Tseng looked down at the red-head perched on the windowsill beside him before plucking the cigarette out of his hand and pressing it to his own lips. "I'll patch him up, but I'm in no position to prevent any of those scrapes, Reno. Besides, it's not like the President intentionally hurts him. Rufus is stubborn, as I'm sure you know."

Reno nodded. "Still not right, even if Rufus is a brat." He took the cigarette back when Tseng was done, looking at it a moment before inhaling again. "Kid's been spoiled all his life. 'Course he thinks he owns the world."

Tseng looked back through the window into the room behind them. "I know that. But right now I'm speaking for all of our safeties, Reno."

"Yeah, I know." Reno looked down at the ground, then back to the glass behind him. "He looks like an angel when he's asleep like that. Funny to think he's such a demon when he's awake."

"No matter how much you hate him, you still care about him, hm?"

"Something like that."

Tseng smiled, reaching a hand to brush over Reno's cheek.

Quiet touches, that's all they could allow themselves outside the safety of their apartments or Tseng's own office. Unfortunately, it was Reno's apartment that was the current refuge of the Shinra heir, giving them one less place of privacy.

Tseng was fairly certain that Reno had never moved faster than when Rufus started knocking frantically on the door. Seeing the boy in tears like that was enough to rattle even the normally calm Tseng.

"I don't know if I can pretend to accept that Dark Nation did that." Reno turned his head slightly to nuzzle against the hand now resting on his shoulder.

"Do it anyway."

Tseng's fingers found their way to brush over Reno's lips, where the red head caught one with a playful smile. "And what do I get for incentive to behave?"

"We'll discuss that when he's safe at home."

Reno grinned, hopping to his feet as he stabbed out the cigarette still in his hand. "I'm holding you to that."

"For now, I think we best tend to our charge in there, Reno."


	6. 9

**#9**

"Reno!"

Reno looked up from where he was balanced on the narrow wall that formed the railing of the balcony outside of Rufus' apartments to see the blond heir to the Shinra empire in his pajamas at the door...and in a panic from how wide his eyes were.

The Turk jumped down to the balcony in one smooth movement before starting towards the other. "What's the matter, Rufus? You look like..."

He found his thought cut off when a blur of pale blue and gold rushed into him. A pair of arms wrapped around his chest tightly, and the young man's head pressed against the exposed skin where Reno didn't bother buttoning his shirt.

Fifteen year old Rufus Shinra didn't randomly hug anyone. For that matter, he just didn't hug people, randomly or not.

"Hey, Rufus, it's okay...don't know what 'it' is yet, but it's okay," Reno soothed, resting a hand against the younger man's hair.

"You could have fallen..." came the murmured reply.

"I..." Reno paused a moment, tilting his head as he looked down at the blond just under his chin. "Come on, Rufus, I do stuff like that all the time. I was just keeping in shape. You know, training? Not that I don't like the vacation I get coming out here to babysit you, but..."

"Don't do it again."

If that was an order, it was the most pathetic order Reno had ever heard. Still, there was something about the way Rufus was clinging to him that made it hard to laugh at it.

"I'm a Turk, Rufus. I'm trained to face far worse than a five meter drop to the ground."

"Just don't do it again! I'm ordering you not to do it again!"

"Fine, Rufus. I won't do it again." He hated to lie to the kid, but he wasn't going to get anywhere arguing that he was trained for things like that. Not to mention that he had balanced on narrower points at a younger age than the boy currently clinging to him. "Come on, let's go beg Tseng to make us breakfast. To make up for scaring you, okay?"


	7. 22

**#22**

"Isn't she a bit young for you?"

Tseng looked over his shoulder at the red-head sitting on a pile of junk behind him. "Perhaps. Are you jealous?"

His partner laughed as he hopped to the ground and slipped up behind him. "Should I be?"

The way the words were purred into his ear were enough. Feeling the other's body pressed against his back caused him to close his eyes in an attempt to keep his composure. "Reno, we're working."

"We're watching a girl that doesn't know we're here, and it's not like anyone can see us. Besides, I don't think this is where we're supposed to be according to Veld's orders."

Tseng's head ducked forward. No, this was not where they were supposed to be at all, but he had to check on her. If Hojo knew that _he_ knew where she was, his place as Turks leader was as good as lost. Still...

A pair of lips pressed against the back of his neck as hands massaged his shoulders through his jacket. "We're going to miss the target we're supposed to be after, Tseng."

"We have enough time. Not a word about this side trip."

"Secret's safe with me, boss."

Tseng turned to face Reno. He knew what his second wanted, and what would appease him for now. "I've been neglecting you, haven't I?" Reno nodded slightly, a grin crossing his face as he did so. "Then I'll have to remedy that when we get back."

Reno paused as Tseng started to pull away. "Tseng!"

The older Turk struggled to hold back a smile as he watched his second. "Something wrong, Reno?"

Frustrated. Reno was frustrated by the way he shifted his stance and looked away. "No. Nothin's wrong, boss."

"Good." He barely gave Reno time to gasp as he reached out to grab the red-head's chin. As his lips pressed against Reno's, his free arm slipped around the other's waist to pull their bodies close again. "It will be late by the time we get back. We can make our report in the morning."

Reno nodded silently as Tseng pulled away. At least he'd behave for the rest of the evening.


	8. 1

_Nothing stands between us here_

_And I won_'_t be denied_

_**--Sarah McLachlan, "Possession"**_

**#1**

"Reno...?"

"Yeah?"

Two steps, that's all the distance was. Two long steps to close the space between the two of them. Rufus caught a bit of the shock in Reno's eyes as he grabbed the collar of that rumpled blue suit and pulled the older man close. He could still smell the bar hanging on the Turk, and he probably had much the same scent in his own coat. He'd have to remember to have this suit cleaned much more thoroughly...

The suit was the least of his concerns right now, though, as he pressed his mouth against Reno's. This was the one thing he wanted that all the money in the world couldn't buy.

It was the alcohol affecting him; some part of his mind knew that. But it didn't change the way the kiss felt.

Reno tried to pull away, one hand gripping the hand holding his collar as he pulled back.

No, he wasn't ready to give up this moment.

Rufus hooked his free arm around Reno's waist and pulled the red-head back against his body. He wasn't going to give up the feel of those lips against his just yet.

"Rufus..." It was Reno's voice that broke the silence when Rufus finally pulled away.

"I..." Rufus paused, his mind clearing for a moment. How was he going to explain his actions? Forcing the older Turk to kiss him...

"I'm gonna chalk it up to the fact that you've got more alcohol in your system than's good for you." Reno finally worked the blond's hand off of his collar before reaching up to wipe a thumb over his own lips. "Bad enough the old man's gonna skin us alive for taking you out and letting you get..."

"He won't know, Reno."

Reno laughed, the sound almost derisive. "He'll know because you'll be hung-over in the morning and won't have the sense to know how to mask it. Like I said, bad enough he's gonna skin us alive for that."

_He won't! I'll protect you!_

The silent protest was futile. Rufus knew that. He couldn't protect Reno and Tseng from his father. "The alcohol only gave me the courage..."

"Go to bed, Rufus."

Still the only thing he couldn't have, Rufus realized as Reno closed the door behind him. All the money and power in the world, and he still couldn't have the thing he wanted most.

Reno.

He sank to the floor with a heavy sigh. He could have forced the other man to stay, of course, but where would that have really gotten him? He wanted Reno as more than a toy, and force would have given him just that.

Whether it was love or just some childish obsession with something he knew he couldn't have, he didn't want Reno like that. He wanted to see the same passion in those eyes that he saw when Reno baited Tseng, wanted to hear the same strength of emotion in that voice that he heard when Reno spotted a bruise that hadn't been hidden well enough.

He wanted Reno whole. If he forced it...


	9. 2

**#2**

"Come on, brat, time to get up!"

Rufus blinked his eyes open, then immediately regretted it as the morning sun nearly blinded him. A shadow moved into the way of the light, and as he forced his vision to focus, he saw the way the sun caught on already fiery red hair. "Reno?"

"Who else gets to call you brat and not die for it? Come on, I've got some coffee on for you, and a shower should help you feel better. Tseng'll make breakfast if you feel up to it."

Rufus nodded, then smiled as he watched Reno.

_My Turks._

Even after the way he acted the night before, Reno was still here...still acting like he always did.

"The old man went back to Midgar with Veld and Heidegger. Apparently there's something going on that he's worried about, but not worried enough to take us with him yet..."

"...so I get to put up with your insubordinate mouth another day?"

Reno laughed. "I'm hurt, Rufus. You say that like it's a bad thing."

Rufus smiled again. If only the alcohol were still there to give him the courage, he would have shown Reno exactly how upset he was to put up with him for another day.

A hand patted his shoulder. "Come on, shower, coffee, and food. In whatever order you want."

Rufus pushed himself up as Reno went to close the curtains and block the sun some. "Reno, about last night..."

"You were drunk, don't worry about it."

"I...yeah, thanks." He plucked at the blanket still over his legs a moment when red hair and a blue suit suddenly appeared in front of him again. "Reno..."

"You know I'm always here for you, just can't be _that_ way."

Rufus felt his eyes widen as a hand touched his cheek lightly. There were moments when Reno was serious. They were rare, but they happened. Those Mako-tinged eyes lost some of their light, and his expression softened. Not the screw-up of the Turks anymore, this was the Reno that would sit with him and tell stories to make him laugh. This was the Reno that he always wanted...the one that actually seemed to care about him.

Rufus chewed on his lower lip a moment, then nodded. "I understand."


	10. 3

**#3**

"So what do I get for breakfast?"

Tseng looked up from the file in his hands just in time to get caught in a kiss from his second. Reno loved doing that to him, and it annoyed him to no end. At the same time, he couldn't help but enjoy the moment.

Until he remembered that they were in the kitchen of Rufus Shinra's apartment, at least.

"Nothing if you don't behave," the dark haired Turk smiled as he pulled away from Reno. That response elicited a serious pout from the younger man. One that Tseng was going to have a hard time not giving in to. "Reno..."

"I know. If the brat finds out and lets it slip around the execs, we might as well kiss this team goodbye."

Reno grinned just before he winked and stuck his tongue out at the older man.


	11. 17

**#17**

That certainly wasn't what he expected to walk in on when he went to see Tseng. Rufus pressed a hand and his forehead against the glass of his window as he watched over the city. It wasn't what he wanted to see every time he closed his eyes, either.

Not that the image of Reno half naked wasn't one that he enjoyed. The image of him so willingly letting Tseng do that to him on the other hand...

"Hey, Rufus, get some sleep already. We've gotta be up early."

Reno's voice brought him out of his thoughts, and he looked up to see the eternal mess that was his bodyguard.

"I can't sleep."

"Nervous, brat?" Reno laughed as he stepped over to the window. His hair was still damp. He must have just gotten out of the shower, which meant...

"No." Rufus caught Reno's waist, pulling the other man close and burying his nose against the bare skin at Reno's neck.

"Rufus?"

"I'm fine. Just love how you smell after a shower."

Reno was quiet for a moment, then laughed, one arm slipping around Rufus' waist as the other reached up to rest against his hair. "So what's bothering you that you can't sleep, kid?"

Rufus shrugged. "Just lonely." Reno's hand slid through his hair as he talked, and he took the move to say it was okay to be close. "But it's okay, because you're here now." He could have fallen asleep right there in Reno's arms, even though they were both standing up.

Rufus lifted his head to lean against Reno's. "Reno, stay with me." He could feel the other tense, start to pull away. That wasn't the reaction he wanted. "Reno..."

"Rufus, I can't. You know that." Reno's hand tucked stray golden locks behind his ear. "And you know why."

"Dammit, Reno, I don't care what my father thinks! He doesn't care about me, and you know that as well as I do." He could feel his eyes burning, and he reached up to rub at them. "Besides, I just want to know you're close. Not like I'd even know what to do to seduce you if I wanted to."

Reno smiled, the look surprisingly gentle on his face. "Let me say something to Tseng so he knows to stall anyone who might come looking for you."

Rufus nodded before tilting his head a bit and leaning to brush his lips against Reno's. Whether it was the danger of kissing a Turk that he loved or the Turk himself, Rufus knew that he wanted the man holding him. He had for years, but Reno always kept him at a healthy distance.

Which was why he was surprised when the red-head not only didn't pull away from the kiss but returned it eagerly.

"Reno?" he breathed out as Reno pulled away.

"Yeah, kid?"

"Why?"

Reno stared at him for a moment, then laughed. "'Cause I felt like it. Now, let me go talk to Tseng for a minute."


	12. 18

**#18**

"You were right, of course. He didn't give up his crush."

Tseng looked up from where he was sitting, reading a book. "I'm not surprised. Aside from how he looks at you, there is the matter of the fact that this is Rufus." He watched Reno run his tongue over his lips before chewing on the lower one. "What happened?"

"This..." Reno stepped closer before ducking down and pressing his mouth against Tseng's for a moment. "Kid wants me to stay with him for the night. You mind?"

"Do you?"

"Do I? No, not really." Reno sat down on the edge of the low table in front of the couch. "He's lonely, and I can't say I blame him. I'd be lonely in his life, too. I just..."

"I never asked you to be exclusively mine, Reno."

Reno looked up from where he was staring at the pattern in the carpeting. "You...?"

Tseng smiled that faint trace of a smile he had. "Go care for him, Reno. I'm not the one who can't sleep alone, after all."

Reno grinned. "I can too sleep alone. Just not very well." He laughed as he stood back up, leaning down to kiss Tseng again. "Good night, boss."


	13. 21

**#21**

"You want me to do what?"

"Activate the program detailed in..."

"Dammit, I read the file. Tseng, there's people out there that have nothing to do with this!" Reno pointed out the window towards the sector their office overlooked.

"You've killed before."

Tseng still wouldn't look at him. He still wouldn't look up from that paperwork that must have been so important. "Yeah, people who were connected to Shinra's enemies. You're tellin' me that I'm supposed to take down the whole plate and kill people who probably don't even know who AVALANCHE is just to take out a couple of terrorists."

"You read the file."

"Yeah, I read the file. I know what happened when Number One blew. I know how many people died there. And I know how many people will die when I drop that plate..." He paused, grabbing the back of the chair and turning it. "Tseng, look at me!"

He didn't know what he really expected to see by doing that, but the lines of dried tears down the older man's cheeks certainly wasn't it. "I argued that it wouldn't get us anywhere, but you know the President. He says he'll blame it on AVALANCHE, and no one will be the wiser."

Reno dropped to his knees, the slouch in his shoulders becoming more pronounced as his head fell against his chest. "I will."

Fingers tangled in his hair as Tseng slipped off his chair and to the floor in front of him. "I know."

Even the warmth of Tseng's body pressing against his wasn't enough to offset those orders.

"I don't like it."

"I know."

"I'd rather go down there with Rude and hunt them down."

"I know."

"I..."

Reno felt a finger press against his lips, then felt Tseng's words against his ear as much as he heard them. "I know."

_I would die for you if you ordered me to. I don't know why I would, but I would. So I'll do this for you because we both know what would happen if you failed as a leader..._


	14. 11

**#11**

"I suppose I should cry." Rufus paced around the desk where his father was impaled on Sephiroth's Masamune with a frown. "But I can't say that I'm sorry he's dead."

He looked up at the five gathered in the room with him.

Tseng. Always the loyal and protective one. The man was more of a father than his own father. If he would cry over any of this, Tseng would be the only one present that he'd allow to see it.

Palmer. The sniveling, round, little man that annoyed him just by his presence to the point that Rufus didn't even want to hear anything he had planned.

Scarlet. The woman was a wonder with weapons, and had an exceptional intelligence. Perhaps that was why Rufus was still tempted to fire her over the time she tried to worm her way into his favor with...a favor. She was such a waste some times.

Heidegger. Rufus often wondered how the man got to be in charge of the Shinra military. He did have his moments of military genius, but they were few and far between. Not to mention that poisonous look that Rufus would catch from him once in a while when Heidegger thought he wasn't looking.

And finally Hojo. The man gave him the creeps. The thought of whatever he might be doing down in that lab of his gave him nightmares for days if he'd think about it. His father claimed it was necessary, but Rufus would have rather shut that whole floor down from the little he did know about it.

He looked back to Tseng. "Make sure that Dark Nation is laid to rest near Kalm. He loved to run in the fields out there, so it's only fitting. I'm going to see Reno."

A slight nod and a bow was the only response he received from Tseng before he shoved his way through the others.


	15. 12

**#12**

"I don't think you're allowed to smoke those in here."

Reno looked up from where he was sitting near the window, cigarette in hand, to see the figure in white at the door. He laughed, then shook his head. "It's not lit, brat. Just holding it'll have to be enough until I'm out of here."

Rufus pushed away from the wall he was leaning against before closing the door and walking over to Reno. "How long will that be?"

Reno shrugged. "Couple of weeks max. Tseng ordered me confined here so that I won't do anything stupid and re-injure myself."

"You? Do something stupid? I'd never believe that."

Reno laughed, then winced before pressing his hand to the bandages around his ribs. "Guess you think that order you once gave me is still in effect, hm?"

Rufus nodded as he reached down, tracing his fingers over the exposed skin on Reno's shoulders. "Of course it is. Even if it was given by a fifteen year old horrified of losing the one person he cared about."

"Rufus..."

The blond smiled as he felt the light shiver that was the response to his touch. "Yes, Reno?"

"You're not helping matters."

"I can't help it. I've missed you in the last two years." He heard the sharp intake of air as he tilted the Turk's chin up and leaned down. "And despite your normal protests, that reaction says that you've missed me." Another smile as their lips touched while he spoke, then he leaned in, pressing his mouth against Reno's.

He had his Turks, still. That was all that really mattered. He'd say goodbye to Dark Nation later, when he was alone. But as long as he had his Turks, everything would be okay.

It wasn't like his father was much of a father anyway.


	16. 4

**#4**

"You son of a bitch! You let him die! You sent him out there knowing Sephiroth was after that goddamned keystone and the Temple and whatever else used to be there!"

Rufus stared at the red-haired Turk screaming at him from where his teammate was holding him back. The girl--Elena, he reminded himself--was standing between them and looking from one to the other, her eyes wide in confusion. "I sent him to do his job, Reno. Like I would have sent you. I didn't do this to hurt you!" It was hard to keep his composure, watching those Mako-tinged eyes. Reno would have killed _him_ right now if Rude weren't there to hold him back.

"Self-centered, manipulative little bastard! You're just like your father! Tell anyone anything they want to hear as long as it gets you what you want," Reno spat back at him. "Fuck you, _Mr. President_. You sent the most important person in my life _to die_!"

It was the anger and the hurt talking, Rufus kept telling himself. Reno didn't mean it. He didn't...

"Rude, let go of me so I can get out of here before I kill this asshole."

Reno squirmed away from Rude, stalking towards the office door, and making sure he slammed it hard enough to rattle the paintings on the wall beside it.

"Rufus, sir...?"

Rufus slumped forward, resting his head in his hands, willing back the tears that he could feel. Seeing him cry wasn't a privilege that he gave to anyone, even his Turks.

"Elena, Rude, just...leave me alone for a bit. And...I really didn't mean for Tseng to die. I'd never hurt any of you like that, you have to believe me," he whispered, trying to keep the strength in his voice.

"Of course you didn't, sir," Elena's voice returned. "Reno...he'll understand that in time. He's just..."

"...hurt. And I don't blame him. Thank you, Elena, just...please leave me alone for a while."

"Yes, sir," Elena replied softly before he heard her heels click softly on the tiled floor. Rude's more silent steps followed, and it wasn't until he heard the door click that he risked looking up.

The truth was, he _didn't_ mean to hurt Reno that badly. He never could have intentionally hurt Reno that badly. The man was the only person that Rufus had ever felt something for that strongly. And to lose that...

A tear splashed on the paperwork under his elbow. Only Reno and Tseng had ever seen him cry, and then only that once. But Tseng was dead, and Reno wished Rufus was.

_

* * *

Okay, so this is the part where I'd like to note that this was written before Advent Children came out. I've always been indecisive about Tseng's fate after the Temple of the Ancients, and in this case, it was better if I went with the not-so-happy ending._

_Even if I am more of a Tseng/Reno fangirl at heart._


	17. 5

**#5**

"Reno, don't walk away from me!" Rufus stalked after the mess of red hair that was all he could see of the Turk moving through the crowded cafeteria.

_"Making a scene in front of all those people! You're supposed to be better than they are!"_

The blond snarled at the voice in his head. Even in death, his father haunted him. But his father wasn't here to be embarrassed by his chasing through the Tower after one of his Turks.

"Reno!"

He shoved past a group of girls that were trying to look pretty and catch his eye with only a passing thought. Didn't they know what he was? What he'd be like even if one of them were enough to catch his eye? The only reason Reno had kept his attentions for so long was because of his chaotic tendencies.

Nothing was ever the same with Reno, even when it was.

"Reno!"

_"You're causing a scene, boy. I don't care why you're chasing him, but someone is going to see it as a lovers' spat. You're an embarrassment!"_

"Go to hell, father," Rufus growled under his breath, breaking into a run as he followed Reno into a deserted hallway. "Reno!"

He reached out when he got close enough, grabbing Reno's wrist and forcing the red head to stop and turn around. It was a stupid move to grab a Turk like that from behind, he noted as Reno's other hand barely managed to stop before slamming into the blond's nose.

"Let go of me, Rufus."

Hatred. Reno looked at him with a hatred that Rufus had only seen directed at him in the eyes of those Avalanche terrorists before.

"No! Dammit, Reno, I didn't mean for this to happen! Why won't you believe that I never meant to hurt you like that?"

The light caught on the Mako in Reno's eyes and reflected back in a flash that only emphasized the anger already there. "Rufus, get your hand off of me. Don't think that I won't hurt..."

It was the most dangerous thing in the world, kissing a Turk this furious and ready to kill. And somehow, that made the touch all the sweeter. Reno wouldn't really kill him, Rufus kept repeating in his mind. Not that he fully believed that, but if Reno was going to kill him, he'd likely already be dead.

That didn't mean that it still wasn't a struggle to keep from getting hurt in this particular embrace. Reno's nails dug into his hand, and he winced visibly, but didn't pull away. He was stronger than his bodyguard. Reno was fast, agile, and smart, but physically he was one of the weakest of the Turks. The younger Shinra always found that if he could catch Reno off guard, he could easily overwhelm the other man physically.

Of course, that was something he had to be careful of, as well. A stolen kiss Reno would forgive in a moment. More and he'd lose everything.

Right now, even the kiss was going to have a painful consequence, Rufus realized as his head slammed into the other wall of the hallway. Reno was good with leverage moves when he could get his positioning right.

"What the hell makes you think you still have the right to do that?" Reno hissed out, a hand reaching up to wipe at his mouth.

The blond slid to the floor, holding the back of his head. He really had screwed up this time. Not only had he lost Tseng--who was easily the closest thing he had to a real father as well as Reno's _real_ lover--but he lost Reno as well. He still had some hope that Reno would get past his anger for the past few days, but now...

He closed his eyes tightly as he bit down hard on his lower lip. If that was the way it was going to be, then he wouldn't cry. Not in front of any of them ever again.

Not that he'd ever have anything left to cry about after this.

Fingers touched his cheek suddenly, and he was forced to open his eyes to see why. He hadn't heard Reno leave, or anyone else approach, so it had to be Reno that touched him.

"Come on, brat. I'll get you some ice for your head."

"Reno..." The hatred was gone, but Rufus could still see the pain from everything that happened etched in Reno's face. "I didn't..."

"We'll talk about it later." Reno stood up and held a hand down to the blond on the floor. "Tseng would kill me for fighting with you like this..."


	18. 6

**#6**

The city was beautiful at night. Even through all the pollution, it was beautiful.

"Here. Keep this on the back of your head."

Rufus pulled himself out of his thoughts and shifted his gaze away from the window when something cold touched him. "Reno...?" He looked up to see the red-head standing beside him, holding the cold pack.

"Yeah, Rufus?" Reno tilted his head to the side as he watched the blond.

"Did...did you..."

Rufus paused, biting down hard on his lip. This wasn't the time to ask, he knew that, but...he had to know at the same time...

Reno nudged him over a bit from where he was sitting on the desk. "Tseng and I used to sit up here and watch the lights after missions," he murmured as he sat down beside Rufus. "Well, that's what we'd start out doing, at least."

"Start out...?" Rufus gasped when he felt Reno's head on his shoulder.

"Use your imagination, brat."

Rufus thought about that a moment before his eyes went wide, and his cheeks colored. But the fact that Reno even said it meant that he was at least mostly over his anger. The fingers that wrapped around his own meant that Reno hadn't stopped caring.

Reno always cared about him, of course, but there were moments when it seemed more like he might have actually cared the way that Rufus wanted him to. Right now, with Reno pressed against his side and holding onto one hand, it felt more like one of those.

"Reno, I...I wish I could take the last week back."

"Yeah, well, you can't. Just gotta keep moving forward." Reno's fingers tightened their grip on Rufus' hand. "Sometimes just gotta realize that."

The blond nodded slightly. "Reno, if I..." His voice caught, unable to finish the sentence.

"If you what?"

Rufus turned his head to look at Reno. Even if Reno wasn't so open about his emotions, the highlights in his eyes were an easy way to read him. Not so strong like most of those in SOLDIER that they took over his eyes and gave him that eerie glow. No, Reno's Mako highlights were the last of an incomplete treatment. Only done for an undercover mission years ago, they faded to a dull glitter when you looked at him instead of the full glow.

Right now, they still reflected the pain of losing Tseng.

"Would you be mad at me if I did this?"

Reno blinked at Rufus as his free hand reached up to brush over the red-head's cheek. He smiled, then, as he lifted his head. "Not if I beat you to it."

It was the first time Reno ever kissed him. Oh, they had kissed enough in the past, and except for the first time it happened and this last time in the hall, Reno had never pulled away. This was the first time that Reno initiated the move, and Rufus found himself enjoying it for more than just the kiss.

The touch was a series of feathery brushes of Reno's lips against his own before the Turk pressed against him completely.

_Mine...my Turk...my Reno..._

It wasn't how he wanted it to happen, but even if he was just a poor replacement for Tseng in Reno's mind at least _he_ was the replacement. Reno could have found solace with anyone else that he wanted. There were always girls trying to catch his eye--secretaries and assistants that just took the job to find a rich man. Funny that they'd pick Reno, who was far from poor, but you'd never know it by the way he lived.

_Mine..._

When the word managed to escape his lips after Reno pulled away, he was afraid that it was the wrong thing. Reno's laugh and the grin attached to the sound told him different.

"Maybe, but don't forget that you can't own me like you can this building."


	19. 8

**#8**

"Out!"

Rufus pointed towards the door, frowning darkly. He didn't want to deal with any of their falsities right now. 'Wonderful plan, Mr. President!' To hell with what they thought of his...

"Reno, Rude, Elena, not you three."

The Turks turned to look at him, confusion registering in the youngest one's eyes. Heidegger and Scarlet leveled a hate-filled glares at both him and his bodyguards.

"I gave my orders!"

The last command was snapped out so forcefully that Heidegger almost ran out of the room. To Scarlet's credit, she held her poise about the situation as she followed him.

"Reno, you're still friends with Reeve, aren't you?" Rufus reached up to rub at the bridge of his nose.

"Yeah. Why?"

Rufus sighed before looking up from the couch he was sitting on. "Tell him what's going to happen to the last detail. Give him the security codes for the execution chamber if you have to. Just make sure that girl doesn't really die for this."

If he could have seen Rude's eyes, he suspected that he would have had three wide-eyed Turks staring at him. As it was, he just had to deal with the look from Reno and Elena.

"But, sir...!"

Elena yelped as Reno elbowed her. "You sure you want us to do that, Rufus? You know what it'll look like if word gets out..."

Rufus nodded at Reno. "I know. Which is why you're making the report to Reeve personally. And then you and Rude are going to help Scarlet gather up the materia from the reactors."

"And me, sir?"

Rufus tipped his head at her. "Stay with Reeve. If Heidegger and Scarlet find out he's that cat, he'll be in danger."

He wasn't his father. Innocent people would not die for this. Certainly not when he finally found the Promised Land that his father was looking for.


	20. 19

**#19**

Warm. He was warm and safe. There was a pair of arms around him, holding him tight against the body they belonged to. And when he shifted to snuggle closer to the body, he felt one of those arms move so the hand could brush through his hair.

"G'mornin', Rufus."

It was Reno's sleepy voice that he heard as he cracked his eyes open. Reno. He hadn't left in the night.

"How're you feelin', brat?"

"Mm...tired..."

Reno laughed with that response. "Well, I don't have to be anywhere today, so if you're free, we can stay here as long as you like."

A day to do nothing but stay in bed with Reno. He wasn't willing to pass that particular chance up. Particularly not after the night before. Not after Reno had managed to find every limit that his body had only to push him beyond it. Now he understood why Tseng and Reno had always been so close. Not sappy, couldn't live without each other type close. Just close. It was hard to not feel close to a man that could make you feel like that.

"I doubt anyone would miss me for one day."

Reno pressed a gentle kiss to his temple with that. "Good. I wasn't looking forward to getting up."

He didn't know what made Reno finally give in. The loss of Tseng, perhaps. After all, Tseng was one of the most important people in Reno's life. But when Rufus had tried to ask him why the night before, Reno merely silenced him with a breath-stealing kiss.

Now...

Rufus traced a hand down Reno's chest. "What made you finally want me?"

Reno was silent for what felt like an eternity, and Rufus just lay there listening to the steady sound of his breathing. "Always wanted you, kid. Just figured I better let you know that before the world ended."

_Always..._

Rufus lifted his head to look at the man he was currently using as a pillow. Reno was looking up at the ceiling, the Mako in his eyes reflecting a range of emotions. Happiness, sorrow, loneliness, bliss.

"You're a jerk. Making me think you hated me..."

Reno laughed, then turned his head to smile at Rufus. "I can show you just how much I don't hate you again if you have the energy."

"Not right..."

They both groaned when Reno's PHS sounded from where it was resting on the night stand.

"Reno."

The greeting was short and to the point like always. That was just how Reno dealt with the interruption that was his phone.

"Rude, it's my day...yeah, I know." Pause. "I know, I know." Pause. "No, I'm not in bed with some girl I found at a bar." Short pause. "No, not her, either! Look, I'll meet you at the landing pad, just don't expect me for a couple of hours. Whatever's down there that Scarlet wants so badly can wait for me to get a shower."

Reno flipped the phone closed before tossing it halfway across the room. "So much for the day off. Rude says they found the Gelnika that crashed in the ocean near Costa del Sol."

"I could order you not to go."

Reno's hand slipped under Rufus' chin, tilting the blond head up to look at him. "We both know you won't, though. Gotta save this city somehow, right, kid?"

Rufus nodded slightly in defeat. "It was nice while it lasted."

"Mmm-hmm...come on, I really do need a shower. Might as well make good use of the time."


	21. 20

**#20**

"So who do you like?"

Reno nearly choked on the cigarette between his lips with that question. In all the time he had played this little game with Rude, his partner had never asked _him_ who _he _liked. "Whoever I feel like that day. Maybe Elena, maybe that ninja brat, maybe you," he replied, a grin tugging at the side of his mouth.

Rude snorted at the answer. "You're too obvious, you know that, Reno?"

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

His partner slid his glasses down his nose to look over them. "First Tseng, now Rufus. If you weren't so damned good at what you do, I'd worry that you were just sleeping with the boss to get ahead."

Was it that obvious? Reno tilted his head at his partner curiously. "Didn't think Rufus and I were exactly broadcasting anything. So how'd you figure it out?"

"The way you look at him. The way you two always step off to a private corner to talk. The fact that he trusts you more than any of us. So do you love him?"

"Love's too strong a word for someone like me." Reno flicked the cigarette into a pool of water on the floor before kneeling down in front of a crate. "Besides, I'm sure Rufus'll find someone better for him some day."

It hurt just to say that. After all the years of dealing with the kid, he actually had grown to like Rufus. Maybe he had been a little drunk to go as far as they had the night before. Maybe it was losing Tseng that caused his lack of restraint. In any case, something made him want to show Rufus how he felt. And once they started...

"You're too hard on yourself, Reno." Rude crouched beside him. "You are the someone better as far as he's concerned..." Rude let the sentence hang as he looked up at the sound of the door behind them opening and closing. "Company."

"Turks!"

That was Lockhart's voice if he remembered correctly, which meant...

Reno turned his head to see the dark haired girl that shouted at them and the two with her. "You know, Strife, you're really getting to be a pain in the ass..."


End file.
